Letter: Iwanski places words in other commissioners’ mouths

During a recent Anderson County Commission meeting, Commissioner Myron Iwanski made reckless and inappropriate comments by asserting the motivations behind his fellow commissioners decisions to vote for the placing of signs bearing the country’s national motto “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courtho...

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Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

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Posted Apr. 2, 2013 at 6:11 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2013 at 6:12 PM

Posted Apr. 2, 2013 at 6:11 PM
Updated Apr 2, 2013 at 6:12 PM

Marlow community

To the Editor:

During a recent Anderson County Commission meeting, Commissioner Myron Iwanski made reckless and inappropriate comments by asserting the motivations behind his fellow commissioners decisions to vote for the placing of signs bearing the country’s national motto “In God We Trust” on the Anderson County Courthouse. During discussion, Iwanski affirmed that his colleagues had passed the measure “for religious reasons rather than patriotic reasons."

In truth, Mr. Iwanski cannot testify to any degree of certainty as to why any of the commissioners voted to approve the national motto. I’m sure his fellow commissioners do not appreciate him attributing motivations on their behalf.

By asserting that the signs were placed for religious reasons, Mr. Iwanski has placed the county in litigious peril by declaring the intent of the body as being religiously motivated. His quote would certainly be cited by any potential litigants against the county. If I were a fellow commissioner, I would call for a censure of Mr. Iwanski for attributing motivations for the Commission as a whole without the authority to do so.

During his discourse, Iwanski then went on to propose policies that would make King Solomon himself blush. Iwanski, along with Jerry Creasy, proposed placing other mottos about the Courthouse in order to limit legal exposure. The problem with their logic is that “In God We Trust” is either a constitutional violation or it isn’t. Placing one sign bearing the national motto would make the county no less exposed to lawsuit than would placing four such signs. Perhaps Iwanski’s hope was that by placing other mottos not including the word “God” the county might somehow dupe a jury or judge into believing it was all one big, happy secular vote. Perhaps this tactic might even have worked had not Iwanski already gone on record as stating that it was all done for religious purposes.

I would hope that, in his next available opportunity, Mr. Iwanski recant his reckless comments and apologize to his fellow commissioners for placing words in their mouths.